08-08-30 PHOTOS: Schenectady Station

Last Labour Day I took another trip to visit my friend who was living in Schenectady, NY. On this trip I did a few non-railfanning activities like climbing to the top of Buck Mountain next to Lake George in the Adirondacks and also spending an afternoon at Saratoga Racetrack. And why I do have photos of Mountain scenery and non-Iron horses, most people reading this would be more interested in the walk I took around the Schenectady Amtrak Station

The station is situated on Amtrak's Hudson Line between the busy Albany station terminal complex and where CSX takes over MoW duties at CP-169. It consists of an island platform with interlockings on each end. CP-160 is the west end of a controlled siding that continues to CP-157 and also provides a link to the former Delaware and Hudson trackage currently used by the Adirondack, Ethan Allen and Saratoga terminating Empire trains. On the east end of the station is CP-159 which allows trains to continue on the main track past CP-157 yet still access the north side of the island platform and the D&H connector.

The Schenectady station is situated on the former 4-track right of way of the New York Central Main line and you can see the remains of the other island platform and bridge truss that served the other pair of tracks. Today the line is mostly single track between LAB tower in Albany and where the Selkirk freight bypass track joins the line at CP-169 in Hoffmans.

Even tho the route is dispatched by CSX, Amtrak maintains the line and is the priority user. The route is cab signaled all the way to CP-169 which keeps a lot of casual CSX through freight off of it. Strains stopping daily at the SDY station include 3 Empire round trips to Niagara Falls, the Maple Leaf to Tornoto, the Lake Shore Limited to Chicago, the Ethan Allen express to Rutland, the Adirondack to Montreal and possibly another Empire train to Saratoga although I think this train was cut back to Albany.

Alrighty, enough with the chit-chat and onto the photos.

Those who prefer self-guided tours can view the entire set here.

Let's start off with this picture I took of the now closed HUDSON tower at the old Manhattan Transfer location on Amtrak's NEC just past Newark Penn Station. Note the millage sign denoting the change in Millage from New York Sunnyside to Jersey City as a basis point. 

The station building consists of an Amshack (not pictures) at street level with stairs leading up to a correctly labeled low level island platform shown here. You can see some people waiting for the next Empire train.

The train soon arrived pulled by P32DM #719. it is interesting seeing Amtrak using its scarce dual mode locos to haul empire trains all the way out to Buffalo and back when it might be better to do a power change and put two P32's on the heavy LSL.

The train served to light up the signals at CP-160 before departing.

08-08-01 PHOTOS: San Jose VTA

I apologize for going nearly two months without a photo update, but my web hosting provider went down for about the last month and before that I was getting ready for my big Chicago trip. Anyway, my primary website is back online and its time for me to bite the bullet and do the write-up for my big trip to the 17th annual USENIX Security Symposium in San Jose, CA last August.

I used this trip to explore the VTA light rail system and the San Jose Amtrak/Caltrain station. Over the course of the week I rode 3 of the 4 legs of the VTA Light rail and also took a CalTrain trip to/from San Carlos and also inbound from Mt View after an outbound VTA trip.

It's fascinating how nice everyone is out in CA. When employees came up to me it was always to ask if I wanted to take pictures of something or where I could go to get a cab ride pass. For a moment I thought I had accidentally wound up in Canada!!

Might as well cut to the photos. You can see the entire set here. You can also keep reading to enjoy the cream that came off the top.

Starting off at the Diridon Station we see an Altamont Commuter Express train laying over next to a Caltrain set both headed by F40s (#911 and #3101). ACE trains have been running into congestion problems as they run through the Altamont pass with UP freight traffic.

Here is a closer view of F40PH-2C #3101.

At the south end of the station complex is CP-CAHILL where the line condenses down to a single track for the trip to Gillroy (Caltrain) and beyond (Coast Starlight). To the right an Amtrak California trainset headed by Am-Cal #2004 used in Capitol Corridor service is the only resident of the nearly empty Diridon Station yard which has been deprecated in favor of the new Caltrain Maintenance Facility about a mile up the tracks.

Here we have Caltrain F40PH-2CAT #901 departing under a clear signal at CP-JULIAN as it begins its trip north to San Francisco.

Check out this video of CP-JULIAN from the rear of an arriving CalTrain.



Caltrain uses fairly new gallery car equipment on most of its trains. Here is #4021 preparing to depart North with train #73.

08-07-12 PHOTOS: Trains, Planes and Streetcars

On a Saturday last July I decided to go pick up a friend from the airport by way of the Baltimore Streetcar Museum. As that did not kill enough time I then went and waited with a friend on the glidepath of BWI Runway 10, just where it crosses the NEC to watch her plane land. By the end of the day I was able to fan light rail, heavy rail and aircraft. A fine example of sort of coordinated multimodel fanning that is possible in th 21st century.

 All of the photos can be found on this page. The most interesting of those and additional Youtube clips can be found below. 

Starting with the BSM they had most of the fleet out and running presenting a very colorful show that was very heavy on the yellow. Here we have PCC 7303, rebuilt single truck trolley #4533 and 1930's car #6119. (Dan Lawrence can fill in the details ;-) ) 
 

Recently puchased Philly PCC car #2168 has been re-guaged and is sitting on the new yard track in front of the museum. 

 The BSM's snow sweeper was also out on display.

  #4533 returns from a run passing under the CSX Philly line overpass. 

 Cab of #4533 at the end of the line with the old M&P roundhouse visible out th window. 

 
 BSM #4533 passes ex-PTC #2728 still on the Philly guage track in the BSM storage area. 

 Here's a video documenting the complete trip from the 28th St loop back to the carbarn. 

 

08-07-11 PHOTOS: Savage Interlocking

Last summer I was meeting a friend after work and I was able to pop around and take some pictures at Savage Interlocking on the CSX Capitol Sub on the old B&O Main Line between Baltimore and DC.

In addition to freight traffic this is the route of the MARC Camden Line service that runs in both directions in the morning and evening peak periods. The interlocking is a simply crossover, but features B&O CPL bracket mast signals at both ends. The signal on the south end is also the distant for the signals at PA Tower interlocking and so have the extra orbitals for Approach Medium and Medium Approach Medium.

As usual the set of photos can be seen here

Here are a sample of photos that should have some general interest appeal.

I arrived in time to see the tk2 northbound CPL displaying clear for the 4:45ish Camden Line train.

Shortly there after the train rolled through lead by MARC 61 and 56 running elephant style.

Bringing up the rear was 7753. The 4 car train was entirely single level.

Is that a solar eclipse? No, just a backlit CPL.

The southbound bracket was also pulled up, but the next scheduled southbound MARC train was expected outside my time horizon. Looks like they might need to get the tree trimmers out soon before the 1tk signal is completely overgrown.

Well that's it for this set. Thank god this line was re-signaled in the early 90's before CSX started putting Darth Vaders in :-(

08-07-05 PHOTOS: Alburtus, Kempton and Mech Chunk

Wow, my photos no longer look out of date because I have nearly a year's backlog. Anyway, last 4th of July I went on a little expedition with professional railfan Chuchubob to the coal country of northeastern PA. We first stopped for lunch in Alburtis, PA at the Iron Horse Bar which was across the street from CP-ALBURTIS on the the NS Reading Line. Despite the name the bar had nothing railfan related inside and really didn't live up to expectations as it was more of a dive than quaint and definitely didn't have a mid to upscale clientele in mind.

CP-ALBURTIS was rebuilt in 2002 from its 1980's Conrail configuration. Fortunately the relay hut was given a Conrail type blue sign, but all of the other classic equipment was removed. Fortunately I was in town to photo document it before the defacement. 

CP-ALBURTIS is the junction with the C&S secondary which serves various industries like the Mack Truck factory. Back in the day the interlocking was much more rustic with lots of weeds, SA searchlights and interlocked hand operated switches. Today its all business with power switched and forced air snow melters.

Still, NS decided to keep the Reading Line Rule 251, which is becoming a real rarity these days.

We were lucky enough to catch a coal train as we waited for our lunch with NS SD70M #2622 and C40-9W #8918.

Next stop was the Wanamaker, Kempton & Southern steam tourist railroad in Kempton, PA. When we got there we caught their GE 45 ton diesel switcher pulling the tourist train at a railroad crossing.

Heading back to the main facility we saw the 0-6-0T steam switcher warming up to pull the next train.

08-07-03 PHOTOS: Holmesburg Junction

No, it doesn't have anything to do with the famous detective, but last summer I was able to visit HOMLES tower in Holmesburg Junction Pennsylvania and took a number of photos there that I thought you might be interested in. If the format of this port is a little off it was because it was originally geared toward a British signaling site.

HOLMES is one of the typical late model Pennsylvania Railroad towers built from the mid 30's onward. It's its sisters up and down the Northeast Corridor between Philadelphia and New York it features all brick construction and no bay window, which was a PRR tower trademark until this time. HOLMES is interesting in that it was constructed as part of the station building, the station part is still serving in its intended function.

As you can see from its interlocking diagram HOLMES is a nearly complete 4-track crossover (later made complete) built in 1947, making it one of the last classic towers constructed on the NEC. In addition to serving as a crossover point it handled the junction with the industrial Bussleton Branch and a number goods tracks on either side of the main line. The PRR rebuilt most of the interlockings along the NEC in the 30's and 40's replacing older wooden towers, installing segments of bi-directional trackage and 45mph turnouts. HOLMES was equipped with a PRR standard 31 lever US&S model 14 power frame.

The tower remained open well into the Amtrak years and was able to handle bi-directional operation on the center express tracks and a training crossover between 2 and 3 tracks to complete the layout. Around 1993 HOLMES was finally closed and automated, although it retained a number of interesting features such as pneumatic switch machines and full gantries of complete US&S model PL-3 position light signals.

Today HOLMES is one of a dwindling number (2) of complete 4-track pneumatic crossover interlockings on the NEC and I my trip was to document it before Amtrak decided to ruin it as they had with HOOK back in 2007. So I got pictures of the air plaint and the air line and the model CP air value units for the points (one of which looks like it was taken from elsewhere as it has a #110 lever number cast into its top). The main line 45mph turnouts are each powered by two US&S model A-5 pneumatic point machines.

 The #45 turnout is subject to its own bulletin order after a box car got loose on the Bussleton branch and rolled through the interlocking and onto the unused #5 track. The order states that dispatchers must keep the 45# turnout lined for the 5tk until needed for a movement in order to have it function as a form of power derail and prevent runaways from getting lose onto the main line.

HOLMES has an interesting parking situation with a small number of spaces cramped right up against the Bustleton Branch, which cuts through the parking lot. N00b station users often park in or get sideswiped by local freight trains. 

The station provides an excellent place to take pictures of NEC passenger trains moving at full clip (125mph). On this trip I caught a Reagional hauled by HHP-8 #668...

...and and ACELA pulled by 2036.

08-06-20 PHOTOS: Video Path (and Other Touristy Stuff)

This set of photos is a bit hard to classify as I went to an O's game and took photos of MARC and later went to NYC and took pictures of DOCK intelrocking and other touristy things as part of a visit to the Museum of Natural History and the photos ended up on the same roll together.

Not much more to say than that except I now have two backlogs, one of the photos I need to process and another of the processed photos I need to write up. You can blame the free UK Railway signaling simulator SimSig for taking up a lot of my time recently d.d b.b

As usual you can find the photos here:

http://acm.jhu.edu/~sthurmovik/Railpics/08-06-20_VIDEO_PATH/-Thumbnails.html

And now on with the show.

Let's start things off with run of the mill CSX GE C44-10W #5244 rounding the curve at Bailey's Wye. That B&O CPL signal it is passing is a brand new in kind replacement for one that was demolished in a derailment a few months earlier.

Same train moving past the southbound CPL to HB TOWER interlocking next to the Hamburg St light rail station with C40-10W #5451. 

Here's a view of the MARC tracks and people arriving for the game.

MARC's GP39H-2s #72 was in Camden station preparing to depart south for the evening.



And I was indeed able to catch its departure led by single level cab car #7757.

The O's had paid to wrap half of a MTA-M light rail car. I guess wrapping the whole thing was out of reach for a sub-500 team :-D

On my way up to NYC I got some good photos of DOCK intelrocking in Newark. These photos were well timed because many of the all amber PL's have since been replaced and colourized.

For example this gantry with the 148R, 150R, 150L and 152R signals was still all amber, but has now been colorized.

The 141E and 143W points with pneumatic A-5 machines.

 The compact type 126R signal.

The compact type 122R and 124R signals, 122R has bee replaced by a full size colourized unit.

Speaking of new signals I got photos of the new 472 signal at Princeton, relocated so that stopping trains weren't in the signal block allowing following trains to maintain speed. Looks like Amtrak has finally stopped using full round lower heads when there is only a single row.

In addition to the natural history museum that had way too much stuff from the 70's in it, I took a side trip to RESTAURANT!

And when are they going to finish St John the Divine?

The main reason for my trip was to get some RFW videos from the front of a PATH train in the tunnels. I was mostly successful with a few that turned out too blurry, but I was able to capture Grove to Newport and then 9th to 33rd. 
 

 
Lastly I got a shot of the westbound Hudson tube from Christopher to Newport, and we had a competent engineer so it times at over a minute faster of my later video with the Christmas tree, however i didn't set things right and the video is terribly dark, worse with the low res. Sorry.



Anyway, hope you enjoyed them. You'll see more in the near future I swear.